


A Pretty Merry Christmas

by i_honestly_dek



Category: Bucky Barnes - Fandom, MCU, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bucky Barnes Recovering, Christmas, F/M, Fluff, sam as a wingman, shy reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 22:05:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21961723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_honestly_dek/pseuds/i_honestly_dek
Summary: There's one present you still have to deliver.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader, Sam Wilson/Reader (Platonic)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 73





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've had something like this running in my head for a while and what better way of getting it out of my head than sharing it with all of youuuu!!! Merry chrysler :)

For what seems like the thousandth time, you look at the unlabelled present in your hands. The snowmen on the wrapping paper smile back at you, but your thoughts at the moment are anything but festive. What if he doesn’t like it? What if he really doesn’t want a present? What if he--

“You know, people usually open their Christmas presents and not just stare at them…” 

You look up to see Sam taking a seat beside you on the kitchen counter, wearing his ugly Christmas sweater and nursing a hot chocolate that’s probably been spiked multiple times throughout the night. 

When you don’t come up with anything to say, he nudges your shoulder with his own.

“What’s wrong, kiddo? I thought you’d be out there beating everyone’s ass at Mario Kart.”

The comment pulls a smile from you, knowing the team was putting your gift – a Nintendo Switch – to good use. Who would’ve thought Rainbow Road would bring so much joy to the Earth’s mightiest defenders?

“I figured I’d let you guys have a bit of fun,” you reply with a small smirk, “you know, before the true winner dominates you all.” 

Sam’s laugh is almost enough to get you out of your stupor, but you look down at the present again. The way your face falls again doesn’t escape his sights.

“Is it for Barnes?”

Your body stiffens and your eyes go wide. 

“I mean, he’s the only one not in the common room right now, and you gave everyone a small present... Not to mention the Switch you gave the entire team.”

You relax in the slightest, hoping your freeze went past Bird boy’s vision.

“Calm down. Your massive crush on him isn’t THAT obvious.”

You immediately feel a blush creeping from your neck up to your cheeks. He chuckles again and puts an arm around you, giving you a reassuring squeeze.

“I’m pretty sure he’s in his room. Just go give it to him. I’m sure he’ll love it, whatever it is.”

And with that Sam leaves, meaning you were alone again in the kitchen.

You’re not sure how much time passes before you hop off the counter and somehow make your way to the elevators. By the time you find yourself in front of his door, your doubting thoughts return.

A mug and hot chocolate? Really? That’s all you could come up with? Well, it has his name on the handle… And a heat changing design – grumpy cat with the caption “don’t talk to me until I disappear” – which you thought was genius-level hilarious… at the time. Now, all you can think about is whether he’ll like it, or if he’ll have to fake liking it, or if he’ll just… not like it.

Before you realize what you’re doing, you knock on the door. Your knocks were quiet, and after a few seconds without a response, you look around the empty hallway. You’d much rather be whooping the team’s ass at Mario Kart. And you could just leave the present in front of his door… He’d see it in the morning.

The door cracks open just as you’re about to leave the present on the ground. 

Bucky’s wearing grey sweats and a white tank top with a black, unzipped hoodie on top. He opens the door wider when he sees it’s you, and you stand up.

“I’m really sorry if I woke you up” you blurt out faster than your brain can stop you.

“It’s okay, I wasn’t sleeping.” He replies. His voice is deep from lack of use. 

He’d been in his room the entire day, save for meals. It wasn’t that he didn’t fit into the group. In fact, Bucky Barnes was the most comfortable he’d been around human beings in a long time. But there was an unspoken rule around the compound that, in part, helped him get to where he was today: don’t push. Everyone was entitled to their private moments, and so long as he didn’t completely shut himself off from the group for extended periods, he’d be unbothered when he made himself scarce. Today was just one of those days.

“Okay. That’s good.” 

You bite the inside of your cheek, before looking down at your gift and up at Bucky once more. He was now looking at you with eyebrows raised.

“Oh right. Um, so. I know you’re having one of your days where you—wait, no that sounds rude. But, like, I know I shouldn’t be bothering you and I’m sorry. But it’s Christmas and everyone’s hanging out downstairs and I gave out my gifts and I only had yours left so I thought I’d deliver it. I knocked before I realized I was knocking, then I was gonna leave it in front of your door but then you answered and I’m sorry I bothered you but here,” you stuck the present out towards him, “Again I’m really sorry for disrupting your night. But Merry Christmas?”

You looked down at the ground as your mentally punched yourself for rambling. But what you missed was the boyish smile that grew on Bucky’s face as you went on. Yes, it was one of those days when he didn’t particularly feel like interacting with people, but if there was anyone he wanted to talk to today, it was you. 

He takes the gift from your hands and gives the wrapping paper a once-over.

“Thanks, doll. I love it.” 

You look up and give him a skeptical look.

“You haven’t even opened it yet.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

You hope that you look down quick enough to hide the blush that’s creeping up your neck. 

“Well, if you don’t like it, I, uh, I still have the receipt still just in case. I can go out and get another one. Or you can choose which one you want. Whatever works.”

You fiddle with the edge of your sweater as your mentally curse for almost rambling. Again. 

“Seriously. I’m sure it’s great. Thank you.”

He’s giving you a genuine smile you can’t help but return. You fight the urge to give him a hug and stuff your hands in your pockets.

“Well, I’m gonna go downstairs now.” You point in the direction of the elevators. “I got the group a Switch and Mario Kart, and I feel like I need to establish my dominance.”

“Kinky.”

Your cheeks hurt from smiling at this point. It still amazes you that Bucky’s comfortable around you in the first place, but you always thought that exchanging innuendos were the true sign of friendship. 

“Merry Christmas, Bucky.”

“Merry Christmas, doll.”

You walk back to the elevators with a warmth in your cheeks and a stupid grin plastered on your face. It was a pretty merry Christmas, if you did say so yourself.


	2. Chapter 2

Some time later that night, you were – as you prophesized – dominating the rest of the team at Mario Kart, though Peter (Parker, as the Guardians were off-Earth) was a worthy opponent. You give him a hi-five as you two cross the Moo Moo Meadows finish line in first and second, respectively. 

“What kind of sorcery is this?” Rhodey exclaims from an end of one of the couches.

“This is not sorcery,” Strange replies from the other couch. “This is beyond even my understanding.”

“And mine.” Wong adds.

Bruce holds his controller out for someone to take. “Someone needs to take this away from me. He’s getting pretty frustrated.”

Everyone turns to look at him, concerned.

“Sorry, bad joke. But I do need to use the bathroom.”

“How about a five-minute break for the room?” Sam asks the room.

Everyone agrees and goes off for drinks and bathroom breaks to prepare themselves for the rampage that will soon continue. A tap on your shoulder makes you turn to look at Peter.

“Ah, my only worthy opponent. You got game, Parker.”

“I could say the same thing. I’m gonna grab another cupcake. Did you want anything?”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll go with you.” 

You start to walk but he stops you. You look at him quizzically before he points to the hallway.

“I think someone wants to talk to you.” 

Your eyes follow his line and you see Bucky leaning against the wall, watching the scene in front of him. You turn back to Peter.

“Could you get me another hot chocolate?”

“The spiked one, or the not spiked one?”

“At this point, whatever’s left.”

“You got it.” 

He claps his hands together and makes his way to the kitchen. You, on the other hand, make your way to the figure in the hallway. Bucky gives you a smile as you approach.

“I see you’ve established your dominance.” 

“Yessir… Though I never thought I’d have such bratty subs.”

He lets out a chuckle before showing you the mug you’d gotten him.

“Well, I was right. I do love it.”

He turns it around in his hand and evidently, he hasn’t seen the heat-changing design just yet.

“I’m glad. I hope you like what happens when you actually put a drink inside of it.”

“I’m sure the hot chocolate will taste great.”

“Not what I meant, James.”

He looks at you with a playfully skeptical look and you return a smirk.

“Well, either way we’ll find out soon. I’m about to make it.”

The next few seconds are a complete blur. There was the sound of an arrow hitting the wall, and before you could even react, Bucky’s arm protectively brought you into the warmth of his body and he spun around. You let out a surprised gasp and your own arms instinctually wrapped themselves around him and prepared for whatever impact was about to come. 

Both of you straightened back up after a few seconds without any more arrows or gunfire. You turn to see Sam, Peter, and Clint looking at the two of you. Sam lets out a quiet ‘Oh, I’m fucked’. Peter has a hot chocolate in each hand and is trying to contain his laughter. Clint still has his bow in his hand. You follow his aim to see a sticky arrow above yourself and the man who was now shooting daggers at the three who looked on. Hanging from the arrow, mistletoe.

For the third time that night, heat fills your cheeks.

“You gotta do it!” Sam yells.

“It’s the rules!” Peter adds.

Clint shoulders his bow and puts his hands up in surrender before pointing at Sam. Of course it was Sam.

You finally turn to Bucky, who has a defeated look on his face and rubs the back of his neck. You notice the blush on his cheeks and realization dawns on you.

“Look, doll, you don’t have to. Don’t worry about them. I’ll kill them late—”

“What if I want to?” You cut him off, surprising even yourself.

He can’t hide his shocked expression. He stutters.

“I—well, uh…”

You roll your eyes and laugh at his inability to process words. Still confused by your own confidence but not wanting to overthink it, you tip toe and place a quick, soft kiss on his lips. 

The kettle goes off as you watch a smile grow on Bucky’s face. You can vaguely make out comments from the others about how ‘you owe me one, Barnes’ and ‘aw, that was cute’ (probably from Sam and Peter, respectively), before you nod your head in the direction of the kitchen.

“C’mon. I wanna see if the hot chocolate tastes good.”

You hop onto the counter while Bucky automatically goes to prepare the hot chocolate. For a few seconds, not a word is said. But after he finishes mixing the hot chocolate, he leans against the counter opposite you.

“So.” He starts, scratching his arm.

“So.” You return. You swing your legs, panicking at the prospect of an awkward interaction coming up.

“I don’t exactly have a gift to give you today.” 

“That’s okay.” You perk up and say immediately. “Seriously. You don’t have to get me anything.” 

“But I want to.”

“Well, I’m sure whatever it is, I’ll love it.” 

“But I want you to really love it. We could go out tomorrow. Boxing Day is a really big thing nowadays, isn’t it? I could see if you like whatever I’m about to get. Or you can just choose something that you like. Or if you don’t like anything then we can go somewhere else. Or if you really don’t want anything we can just go out for coffee or something. If you want. It’s up to you.”

You can’t help but chuckle and he looks at you curiously.

“What?”

“Is that what I sound like?”

“What do you mean?”

“When I ramble nervously.”

He rolls his eyes.

“But anyway,” you continue, “yes. I’d love to go out with you tomorrow. For gifts, or coffee, or something.” 

“Okay then.” He says with a smile.

“Okay then.” You smile and point to his mug, which has now changed designs. He picks it up and sips some of the hot chocolate.

“Just as I thought,” he hums, “tastes great.”

He hands you the mug to try some but seems to finally notice the design. He reads the caption and studies the mug before letting out a hearty laugh. You let out a sigh of relief.

“Amazing.” He looks at you softly. “Thank you. I mean it.”

“You’re welcome.”

Just then, Peter yells from the common room about how ‘I am superior!’ and your Mario Kart instincts kick in. You jump off the counter and are about to dash over to reclaim the throne, when you remember the super soldier who stands in front of you.

“Are you, uh, gonna go back to your room? There’s still space on the couch if you wanted to play with us. In case you wanted to join for a bit.”

“I suppose I could watch you kick Wilson’s ass.”

A smirk grows on your face.

“My pleasure.”

You turn to walk over, but a hand on your arm turns you around.

“Uh, wait.” You stand there with eyebrows raised, his arm unmoving. “Could I, uh…” He takes a deep breath. “Can I kiss you?” 

Your heart flutters and you let out a quiet “yeah” before he leans down, and you meet him halfway.

His lips are soft and warm on yours. This kiss is longer than the first, but not as long as either of you hoped it would be. You hope to have many more of these moments soon. When you break apart, you have a dopey smile on your face and you stand there, looking into his eyes.

“A merry Christmas, doll?”

“Yeah, I’d say it was pretty merry.”

He places a quick kiss on the top of your head before grabbing his mug. 

“Alright, what’s this about Mario Kart domination?”

**Author's Note:**

> If you're looking to give me a Christmas present, comments would be great ;)


End file.
